Ricky Dimon
Thanksgiving Day is rapidly approaching and that can only mean two things: 1) copious amounts of Turkey; 2) football. NFL action opens with Bears vs Lions and Raiders vs Cowboys in the afternoon slots before the Bills and Saints take center stage on Thursday Night Football.
Here we will discuss the touchdown scorer market for Thursday’s AFC vs NFC nighttime contest. Who will find the endzone, specifically first but also at any point? Let’s take a look at some of our best TD scorer bets.
First touchdown scorer: Marquez Callaway, WR, Saints (+1600)
I’m not big on favorites in this market, because the first touchdown scorer is generally a crapshoot (there are some exceptions like Derrick Henry, when he was healthy). You can almost always find better value with longer odds, and I think that is once again the case this time around. I’m not going to hammer Saints running backs Alvin Kamara (the favorite at +700) and Mark Ingram (+750), even though Kamara is at least somewhat enticing. When you can get more than double the number on Callaway, it’s a chance you have to take.
Callaway has emerged as an outstanding red-zone target, to the extent that he has a 2-touchdown lead among New Orleans pass catchers with 6 on the season (Kamara is next with 4 and no other wide receiver has more than 2). The University of Tennessee product has scored in 3 consecutive games and all 6 of his TDs have come in the past 8 outings. With the Saints playing in the Mercedes-Benz Dome in a night-game atmosphere and the Bills reeling (losses to Jacksonville and Indianapolis in the last three weeks), the home to should be able to get off to a hot start. Don’t be surprised if it’s Callaway who is responsible for it.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Buffalo Bills vs New Orleans Saints
Anytime touchdown scorer: Stefon Diggs, WR, Bills (+150)
How are we still getting Diggs at plus money (well into plus money, in fact!) to score a touchdown?!?! The Pro Bowler out of Maryland has scored 5 times in the last 5 games, including twice against the Colts last weekend. All other Buffalo wide receivers have 7 touchdowns combined this year. New Orleans is ranked third in the NFL against the run and is No. 1 in yards per carry allowed (3.4). The Bills will have to do their damage through the air, giving Diggs all the more reason to find the endzone at least once.
Anytime Touchdown Scorer FAQs
What does “anytime touchdown scorer” mean?
Anytime touchdown scorer is a popular player prop bet that NFL bettors can wager on throughout the season. But what is it, and how do you win?
As the name suggests, placing a wager on the anytime touchdown scorer market is when you tip a particular player to score a touchdown during a game. This can be a rushing or receiving touchdown for an offensive player, or you can wager on a team’s defense/special teams to score a touchdown by interception return and fumble return or kickoff and punt returns.
If your player or defense scores a touchdown, you win! The odds will differ from player-to-player depending on the sportsbooks’ calculated probability of that player scoring.
Does anytime touchdown scorer include passing touchdowns?
Not for a quarterback, no. A player must get into the endzone, himself, in order to qualify as an anytime touchdown scorer. If a quarterback throws a touchdown pass, only the player who caught it counts as the scorer. If Tom Brady throws a touchdown pass to Mike Evans, wagers placed on Evans as an anytime touchdown scorer will cash. However, those placed on Brady as an anytime touchdown scorer will not (unless he also runs for a TD). See below for more on what the anytime touchdown scorer market means for quarterbacks.
What does anytime touchdown scorer mean for a QB?
For a wager on a QB to be an anytime touchdown scorer to cash, he must follow the same rules as a running back, tight end, or receiver. He must get into the endzone himself, either as a runner or a pass-catcher.
In the age of the mobile quarterback, QBs such as Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, and Josh Allen are often seen rushing in for a touchdown on any given Sunday. And don’t forget the occasional Philly Special, either. QBs can sometimes catch passes for TDs, too.
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